SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

SCI

NEWS No. 100

MARCH 2016

CONTENTS President’s Report Website/News/Table Tennis Collector Future Events WVC 2016 Alicante/Elche (ESP) EC 2016 Budapest (HUN) SCI Junior Fair Play Trophy Presentation 2015 in Vendee (FRA) AGM 2016 in Kuala Lumpur (MAS) Minutes and Reception History of SCI NEWS Down Memory Lane Country Corner Section Autographs from 1987 In Memoriam News Flash Ichiro Ogimura with the Japanese Team mates at the World Championships in Stockholm 1957, holding the Swaythling Cup Photo by Denis George, Scotland

Please note the new contact details of the SCI Office: Postal address: Bismarckstrasse 40 B, DE 41564 Kaarst/Germany Telephone: ++49(0)2131 5398729, E-mail: [email protected]

… a new dimension

The First World Sports Veterans Association

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL (FOUNDED - STOCKHOLM 1967) FOR TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONS AND OFFICIALS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED THEIR COUNTRY IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

HONORARY PRESIDENTS Mr. Victor BARNA (Founder – Deceased 1972) Mr. Joe VESELSKY Dr. Zarko DOLINAR (Deceased 2003) Mr. Steve BOROS (Deceased 1994) Mr. Johnny LEACH MBE (Deceased 2014) Mr. Ferenc SIDO (Deceased 1998) Mr. Hugo URCHETTI (Deceased 2004) Mr. Ichiro OGIMURA (Deceased 1994) Mrs. Diane SCHÖLER HONORARY MEMBERS 1967 Hon. Ivor MONTAGU (Deceased 1984) 1967 Mr. Bill VINT (Deceased 1993) 1970 Mr. H. Roy EVANS (Deceased 1998) 1972 Mrs. Suzy BARNA (Deceased 2014) 1988 Mr. Hikosuke TAMASU (Deceased 1998) 1993 Mr. Ranga RAMANUJAN (Deceased 2013) 1994 Mrs. Nancy Roy EVANS (Deceased 1998) PRESIDENT Mr. Eberhard SCHÖLER (GER), Bismarckstraße 40 b, D-41564 Kaarst, Germany Tel: 0049 2131 5398729 E-Mail [email protected] DEPUTY PRESIDENT Vacant position TREASURER Mr. Werner SCHNYDER (SUI), Stallenrain 18, CH-4103 Bottmingen, Switzerland Tel: 0041 61 4020220 E-Mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Mrs. Gloria WAGENER, C/o SCI Office E-mail: [email protected] RULES EXPERT Reto BAZZI (SUI) DIRECTORS National and International Relations Mr. Richard YULE (ENG) Press and Publicity - Not assigned Public Relations Mr. Milan ORLOWSKI (CZE) Sponsorship Zbynek Spacek (CZE - Acting Director) World Veteran Championships Director: SCI President Chairman: Mr. Hans WESTLING (SWE) Swaythling Club International Office C/o Eberhard SCHÖLER, Bismarckstraße 40 b, D-41564 Kaarst, Germany Tel: 0049 2131 5398729 E-mail: [email protected]

Recognized by the ITTF

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Immediately after the “Perfect China” World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 28th February to 6th March 2016, preparation, printing and posting of the jubilee issue No. 100 of our Swaythling Club International News had to be finalised – in order to ensure that members all over the world would receive this edition within the month of March. The round figure is the opportunity to look back into the history of the SCI Magazine, first called “Bulletin” and later “News”. Some details you find on pages 12 and 13. Further highlights of this year are the World Veteran Championships in Alicante/Elche (Spain) at the end of May and the European Championships in Budapest in October; see pages 5 and 6. I hope to meet many members during these two events. I shall not be present at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro but will watch table tennis and other sports on TV and Internet. All those members who will visit Rio I wish a most pleasant stay and wonderful experiences. As usual, we received several reports from National SCI sections – this time from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Israel, Japan, Sweden and United States of America. Enjoy the information given on pages 17 to 24! Memories come back by looking at old photos from great table tennis personalities. We found some excellent pictures and hope you like them; look at pages 14 to 16 under “Down Memory Lane”. On page 25 you can see rare autographs of SCI members attending the SCI AGM during the World Championships in New Delhi 1987. Can you identify most of the names? Three of our members have passed away during the last 6 months - read pages 26 to 29. They are sadly missed. Take care – and best wishes! Sincerely, Eberhard Schöler President SCI

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

WEBSITE THE SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE IS ONLINE !!! AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ITTF-WEBSITE UNDER: http://www.ittf.com

You can visit the Swaythling Club International Section under: www.ittf.com/ front Page/ittf4.asp?category=s Club

You can now view, download and even print

the SCI NEWS direct from our website !!!

Table Tennis Collector

Chuck Hoey, Editor TCC Photo by ITTF

Please be informed that the new edition of the Table Tennis Collector Journal, edition 78 (February 2016) is available. This is a direct link to the pdf download: http://www.ittf.com/museum/TTC78.pdf Please allow sufficient time for the download, which is several MB in size, 38 pages. This edition features some fascinating research articles, for example regarding all pages of the English TTA official magazines from 1935 to 2010, and a report on the manufacturer Slazenger’s & their Whiff-Waff game. The Auction Action shows an interesting variety of rackets, including a beautiful group of pyrographic bats. You can also access it via the ITTF Museum homepage: ittf.com/museum Click on the Journal icon, and select edition 78. Enjoy!

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

FUTURE EVENTS WORLD VETERAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016 ALICANTE/ELCHE (SPAIN) 23rd to 29th May 2016 The following ten Swaythling Club Members have received an invitation to attend this event and will take part in the competition – singles and doubles: Mrs. Branka Batinic, Croatia Mr. Georg Böhm, Germany Mr. Traian Ciociu, Luxembourg Mr. George Evans, Wales Mr. Alan Hydes, England Mrs. Barbara Kaminsky, USA Mr. Andrei Mazunov, Russia Mr. Adi Rosenbaum, Israel Mrs. Edith Santifaller-Huber, Italy Mrs. Jing Tian-Zörner, Germany In addition, a special invitation was given to Manuel Sierra, a member of the Spanish section of the Swaythling Club International, representing the host country. We wish all participating SCI members every success in the tournament which will set a new record with approximately 4600 entries - have a most pleasant stay in Alicante/Elche! plEvent Logo

q Harbour and Castle

All photos by Spanish Table Tennis Federation

Details regarding the Championships you can view under www.wvc2016.com

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

FUTURE EVENTS ITTF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Budapest (Hungary) 18th to 23rd October 2016 6 Invited SCI Members Those members wishing to apply for one of the six places kindly offered by the Hungarian Table Tennis Association to attend this event are requested to apply to the following address: SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL c./o. E. Schöler, Bismarckstraße 40 b, DE-41564 Kaarst, Germany or per email: [email protected] or [email protected] Apply no later than 30th June 2016

pl Budapest and Danube ul Playing venue ”Tüskecsarnok” (Dirk Stadium) Both photos by Hungarian Table Tennis Association

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

SCI JUNIOR FAIR PLAY AWARD Presented by the Swaythling Club International and by the ITTF, the Fair Play Award at the 2015 World Junior Championships, which concluded in the French town of La Roche -sur-Yon on Sunday 6th December 2015, was won by Egypts Aly Ghallab. The award, offered by SCI and involving a US Dollar 1.500 scholarship cheque for career development donated by the International Table Tennis Federation, was received by Ashraf Helmy, the Egyptian National Coach, on behalf of the 18 year old from Cairo having earlier returned home. Outstanding sportsmanship is the requisite. Ali Ghallab, for his gesture in the Boy’s Team Event on Monday, 30th November, received the plaudits of all present in the splendours of the Vendespace arena. In the team match against Belgium, for positions No. 13 to No. 20, Egypt leading two matches to one, Aly Ghallab faced Thibaut Darcis; in the fifth game the two players were level at 7-all. Correctly, Aly Ghallab served, seemingly he had won the point and had an 8:7 lead. The officials duly awarded the point to the Egyptian. However, Ali Ghallab, to his great credit, advised the umpire that the ball had touched his face during the service action and the point should be awarded to his adversary; the decision of the officials was reversed. Thibaut Darcy won the contest and Belgium the match 3:2, finishing No. 13 while Egypt finished in 17th position. No award was made for girl; the awarding panel received several reports of excellent behaviour none directly relating to a sporting action for which the award was intended. Excerpts from an article by Ian Marshall, published on the SCI website on December 6th, 2015 pl Melicio Rivera, ITTF Executive Vice President (left) makes the presentation to Ashraf Helmy (right) tlAli Ghallab, Egypt

Both photos by Remy Gros

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

SCI ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA during the “PERFECT CHINA” World Team Championships 2nd March 2016, 16.00 - 17.30 hrs, Meeting Room Meranti 1 in the Acappella Hotel 1. PRESIDENT`S WELCOME Ebby welcomed all members to the AGM which started at 16.15 hrs in order to enable some members who had other meetings to join the proceedings. He commented that this year would be a reasonably short AGM - no elections and no propositions, though there would be some proposals that needed agreement. Many thanks were given to the Malaysian Association for their kind invitation. Mr. Chan was responsible for inviting 7 SCI guests and for organising a small reception afterwards. Unfortunately, due to his tournament duties he was unable to attend the AGM.

3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS A.G.M. (Suzhou, China 2015 published in the SCI News No. 99) Minutes were unanimously approved. 4. PRESIDENT`S REPORT Ebby thanked the ITTF for their co-operation and especially Etsuko for organising the meeting room and SCI Office – this was much appreciated. Ebby sadly informed the assembly of some deceased members. Rosalind Cornett, Diane`s twin sister; two well-known players from France Charles Roesch and Vincent Purkart and Bill Moran from England active on the official side. There would be articles on these personalities in the NEWS. Fortunately, the SCI had 9 new members who the assembly heartily welcomed.

2. APPOINTMENT OF SCRUTINEERS As there were no elections or propositions only one scrutineer was suggested – Dr. Chandra Madhosingh of Canada - this was agreed by the members. qISCI members gathering at a reception with some snacks and drinks given by the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia after the SCI AGM.

Photo by SCI

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

He explained that the position of Deputy President was still vacant and would be filled only during the elections in Düsseldorf next year. He and Diane were in the process of preparing the March SCI NEWS and he said members might have noticed on the front of the last NEWS the No. 99, which means this March edition would be the 100th. They had managed to find some interesting photos and articles from the past. Jens-Erik produces the layout and then it is sent on to Slovakia for printing and distribution. The oldest issue he could find was from 1976 the NEWS was then called “Bulletin”. If any member has or knows of somebody with earlier copies would they please inform him - this would be much appreciated. Ebby then went on to inform the assembly of circumstances that had arisen regarding the SCI trophies. The SCI, he said, has been presenting the Victor Barna Best Player Award and the Richard Bergmann Fair Play Award now for 49 years. The Junior Fair Play Award is still to be presented together now with an ITTF scholarship prize money. He continued that the ITTF had no objection to the SCI presenting the Ri chard Bergmann FairPlay Award, however, the Victor Barna award clashes with the trophy their Sponsors will be presenting – “Most Valuable Player” - which would most probably be on the same basis and likely to be presented to the same player. He con-

tinued that the Victor Barna Award would not be presented this year or in the future. He and Diane felt it a necessity to keep the name of Victor Barna alive not only because of his achievements, but also because he was a founder member and the first SCI President. He suggested this should be discussed further under item 8. Another item under No. 8 that should be discussed was the integration of the Para TT into the SCI. Oivind Eriksen would give a short explanation. Ebby finished his report and there were no questions, so the report was adopted and accepted. 5. TREASURER`S REPORT The Treasurer stated that the official audited balance sheet would be published next year in Düsseldorf 2017. This year showed just the financial movement for 2015. The consolidated result 2015 for SCI and WVC showed a loss of 10,227 CHF, which he commented was quite usual in this interim. He was confident that at the end of 2016 a positive result would be presented. The costs shown were for the WVC Presentations during which USA received the WVC for 2018 and France the option for 2020. The next presentations would be in 2019. qIIvo-Göran Munivrana and Ronald Kramer during the ETTU-Congress which was held at the same time as the Swaythling Club AGM. Photo by SCI

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

Werner said if any members had any queries he would be pleased to answer any questions. Alan Ransome wanted to know the percentage SCI would receive from the 4,600 participants in Alicante/Elche. Werner stated 10% of each entry fee, which brings the amount to around 65,000 CHF nett income. James Morris requested the average payment made by members – Werner informed him the yearly payments were still the most used method, however some countries do prefer to use the 5 yearly payments. Ian McLean wanted to know the assets of the SCI – Werner stated ca. 280,000 CHF. He mentioned that although the SCI had shown a loss for this period the club was still financially secure. No more questions were asked. a) The report was agreed and adopted. 6. REPORT OF THE WVC CHAIRMAN Hans informed the assembly of the upcoming WVC in Alicante/Elche and the record entry of 4,600. It was thought in the past that the record entry from Bremen would be difficult to break. 2012 in Sweden 65 countries were represented and now this year in Spain 80 countries will be represented. It would also be the first time the over 90`s category would be played. He stated that 11 men had entered for the over 90`s and unfortunately only one woman who has to go down into the over 85`s. There was a lot of correspondence between Michael and the rest of the WVC Committee together with the Organising Committee involving a tremendous amount of work. It was a challenge to accept this high entry and a limit was set at 4,600.

This was accepted by the Spanish to ensure they could provide transport and volunteers. He stated the organisers were very keen to present a successful tournament. He asked members if they had any questions regarding the 18th WVC. Alan Ransome commented on the extra day. Hans stated that without the extra day it would not have been possible with the amount of entries to secure an acceptable schedule – the largest age group is the over 50`s and to get to the final a participant would have to play 17 matches. The WVC Committee were seriously thinking of having an extra day for the WVC in Las Vegas in 2018. He and Reto had recently had an inspection visit to Las Vegas and had seen the large convention centre and the playing conditions. He and Reto were positive a successful event would be produced. Hans finished his report. Ebby thanked Hans and stated that the 2020 WVC in France would be discussed at another time. 7. MOTIONS FOR ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES No motion for any amendments were put forward 8. MOTION FOR ANY PROPOSALS The word was given to Oivind Eriksen: Oivind stated a lot of work had still to be done in order to present the proposition in Düsseldorf May 2017. The Para TT had been a part of the ITTF family now since 2009 and 7 years on he felt it about time to start a relationship with the SCI. Since Rome 1960 athletes, players and umpires have been taking part in events. There are many members here at this meeting who work within the Para TT and he would like to increase the membership of the SCI with younger athletes. It will not be easy as Para TT events are separate to normal TT championships and it is not sure how to deal with the situation. However, a sub committee was being considered in order to find tIWalter Rönmark (left) and Radivoj Hudetz discussing an important subject. Photo by SCI

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

the best way to incorporate Para TT into the SCI and he was sure through fairness and friendship this would be possible. Ebby thanked Oivind for his contribution. Oivind stated that after 10 years he was no longer the Chairman of Para TT and suggested that Ebby officially make an appointment with the present Chairlady. Ebby said he had already made arrangements for a meeting. The members were asked if they had any comments to make or suggestions: one suggestion was to have a special trophy e.g. Best Player Award and Fairness Award presented at a major Para TT event. Alan Ransome was totally in agreement to having the Para TT in the SCI – players from World Championships and Olympic Games. James Morris also thought this a great idea and he stated Oceania also have a sub-committee for this purpose. Billy Gibbs suggested the SCI Executive Committee add an extra member to their committee responsible for the Para TT. Many positive comments and suggestions were put forward to incorporate the Para TT into the SCI and all suggestions will be carefully considered by the Executive Committee. Another item to be discussed was the Best Player Award mentioned above. Members were in agreement that Victor Barna`s name should be kept alive. He asked members for any suggestions how this could be done. He firstly asked members if the award this year should be presented unofficially or left “in the cupboard”. It was agreed by all not to present this award unofficially. Some suggestions put forward: Niel Harwood suggested a Life Achievement Award – Billy Gibbs suggested the Best Player Award could be given at Junior Championships – Ebby mentioned the idea of presenting a Victor Barna Best Player Award at the World Championships for the under 21, but he himself was not convinced of this option. Alan Ransome suggested this award could be presented during the World Veteran Championships, perhaps in Alicante/Elche, as Victor Barna was probably more known to them. Many suggestions were made and the Executive thanked members for their input and would consider these options to try and find a solution

to this problem and inform the assembly at the next AGM in Düsseldorf 2017. 9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS Ebby asked Zbynek Spacek, who is the President of the Czech Table Tennis Association, if he would consider taking over the job of Director for the SCI sub-committee Sponsoring and Advertising – Zybnek agreed to undertake this position - the Executive Committee and members thanked him sincerely for his contribution. Alan Ransome expressed his thanks and appreciation to the SCI/WVC Committee for their hard work in making the World Veterans so popular and successful. He specifically requested that this be noted in the minutes. The Committee appreciated his comments. Meeting was closed 17.30 hr Prepared by .................................. Gloria Wagener Secretary SCI

Read and confirmed by ..................................... Eberhard Schöler President SCI

Kuala Lumpur, Maylasia 3rd March, 2016 Poster of the Event

Photo by Malaysian Table Tennis Association

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

HISTORY OF THE SWAYTHLING CLUB NEWS In the early years of the Swaythling Club International, the magazine was called “Bulletin”, written with an ordinary typewriter, without any photos, copied and then posted to the members by normal mail. The work was done mainly by Secretary Bill Evans and Press Officer Johnny Leach – see the top part of the oldest issue (Bulletin No. 18 – January 1976) available in our archive:

Other items dealt with in this Bulletin were Constitution, Address Book, European Championships, World Championships 1977, Blazers, Swaythling Club Song and reports from several National SCI sections. The first issue with photos was No. 35 – May 1983. Responsible for the layout, printing and posting were now the new Secretary Diane Schöler and the new Press Officer Bas den Breejen from Holland, assisted by Laci and Teri Földy

from Switzerland. Most important was the cooperation with Denis George from Scotland, who was a printer by profession. He managed to include black and white photos from this time on. The information for our members became more interesting. However, at the beginning, the quality of the photos was rather blurred – therefore we decided not to publish the whole page. Just check the original text “New Look Bulletin”.

Other items mentioned in this bulletin, together with some photos, were: SCI meeting between Switzerland – Belgium, Victor Barna and Richard Bergmann Awards, World

Veteran Championships 1984 in Helsinki, New SCI Booklet, European Championships 1984 in Moscow, SCI Reception in Tokyo 1983 and SCI Membership Fees.

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

HISTORY OF THE SWAYTHLING CLUB NEWS - 2 The next step forward was made with No. 54 in 1992, now called “NEWS” and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SCI, with four coloured pages in the front (2) and back (2) of the magazine. There were altogether 12 pages. Photos inside were still in black and white. The information published included a message from the SCI President, then Ferenc Sido, a stroll Down Memory Lane - Johnny Leach, a dedicated Champion - an obituary for Tony Larsson (Sweden), a report from the 6th World Veteran Championships 1992 in Dublin (Ireland), a preview regarding the 7th World Veteran Championships 1994 in Melbourne (Australia) and Umpires Reflections from the Olympics 1992 in Barcelona (Spain) by Dr. Chandra Madosingh (Canada). At the beginning of the 21st century, Jens-Erik Linde from Denmark took over the layout, printing and posting. The quality of the printed photos, although still in black and white inside the magazine, improved considerably. From 2008 onwards, all coloured photos received for publication were printed in colour and made the pages look much nicer: It was certainly good to accept the higher cost for coloured pictures inside the NEWS! Historic photos, of course, we still enjoy in their traditional black and white view. The text for the different editions usually is similar. The main subjects are future events, SCI trophies, reports from SCI meetings, World and European Veteran Championships, Down Memory Lane, Country Corner information, news flash and - sadly“In Memoriam” regarding members having passed away. Since 2013 – Jens-Erik Linde is still responsible for the layout – the NEWS are printed and posted in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Our thanks go to our member Anton Hamran and his team from the Slovak Table Tennis Association for their co-operation; we are also happy for the assistance by Ian Marshall who writes many articles for the NEWS and website. Last but not least we thank Habiba Besic from ITTF for keeping and preparing the addresses of our members, together with our secretary Gloria Wagener.

No.54





OCTOBER 1992

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

DOWN MEMORY LANE

65 years ago

World Championships 1951 in Vienna Team Czechoslovakia. pIUpper row, from left to right: Hroch (captain), Koudelka, Tereba, Tokar, Andreadis. Lower row, from left to right: Krejcova-Furstova, Stipek, Kroupova, Vana, Vyhnanovska. Photo by Czech SCI

62 years ago

World Championships 1954 in Wembley, London xIFerenc Sido, Hungary, Defending World Singles champion (won the title in Bucarest 1953). qIGizi Gervai (Farkas) and Ivan Andreadis receiving the Heydusek prize, after beating Eguchi/Tomita (Japan) 17, -19, 15 and 21 in the Mixed DouBoth photos by Denis George, Scotland bles final.

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

DOWN MEMORY LANE

61 years ago

World Championships 1955 in Utrecht/Netherlands pIEva Koczian and Kalman Szepesi (HUN) defeated Helen Elliot (SCO) and Aubrey Simons (ENG) in the Mixed Doubles final -18, -18, 18, 18, 16 uIDiane Rowe (ENG, right) defeats Angelica Rozeanu (ROM, left) 21:12, 21:15 in the team event qIJapanese Men’s Team, winning the Swaythling Cup. From left to right: Y. Tomita, T. Tanaka, I. Ogimura, K. Tamasu. All photos by Denis George, Scotland

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

DOWN MEMORY LANE

61 years ago

World Championships 1955 in Utrecht/Netherlands pIIvan Andreadis, Ladislav Stipek (CSSR) defeat Zarko Dolinar/Vilmos Harangozo (YUG) 10, 7 and 18 in the Men’s Doubles final IRomania, winners of the Corbillon Cup. From left to right: Angelica Rozeanu, Sari Szasz, Ella Zeller

x

Both photos by Denis George, Scotland

35 years ago

World Championships 1981 in Novi Sad/Yugoslavia qISCI members gathering at the grave of Vilmos Harangozo, World Champion 1954 in Men’s Doubles together with Zarko Dolinar, at the cemetery in Subotica near Novi Sad. Vilmos had passed away in 1975. Present were, among others, Ichiro Ogimura, Johnny Leach, Diane Schöler, Joe VePhoto by SCI selsky, Hugo Urchetti.

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER BULGARIA On 14th January 2016, the Annual Meeting of the Bulgarian SCI was held in Sofia in the Sports and Youth Ministry. All members were present – with the exception of those Bulgarian members living in France. We paid tribute to Mrs. Rosalind Cornett with a minute of silence. She, her sister Diane and Johnny Leach were examples of excellent sportsmen and –women and good friends of all Bulgarian players who participated in World Championships. Slavek Gerdjikov informed about his visit to Suzhou (China), about the selection of organisers for the next World Veteran Championships in Las Vegas (USA - 2018), Bordeaux (France – 2020) as well as for the next European Veteran Championships in Sweden 2017. Dimitar Karaivanov reported about the last European Championships in Yekaterinenburg, Russia which he attended as SCI Invited Guest. He not

only watched very interesting matches but also succeeded to invite a large number of players from many countries to visit Bulgaria and to play in our tournaments, mainly during the summer. All members of SCI Bulgaria wished our friend Angel Kaltchev a happy 80th birthday with a lot of health. Best wishes were sent to Nayden Konov to get well as soon as possible, so that he can carry on preparing the young generation of players. At the end of the meeting, a proposal was made to our National Association, in order to give all attention and resources to the young players of Bulgaria so that a new Guergueltcheva and a new Sladkarov could be found. By Slavek Gerdjikov From left to right: Standing: Slavek Gerdjikov, Dimitar Karaivanov, Stefan Kitov • Sitting: Angel Kaltchev, Alexander Sladkarov, George Damianov Photo by SCI Bulgaria

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER CZECH REPUBLIC Proud father of Milan, Marcel Orlowski celebrates 100th birthday Marcel Orlowski is 100 years old, he celebrated the occasion on Tuesday 30th September 2015; he is the father of Milan Orlowski, the player who represented what was then Czechoslovakia, prior to the peaceful separation in 1993 into the current nations of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Notably, Milan Orlowski won the Junior Boys’ Singles title at the European Youth Championships in 1969 in Obertraun and the Men’s Singles event at the European Championships in Novi Sad in 1974. In addition, he won the European

TOP 12 in 1997 in Sarajevo and in 1983 in Cleveland in the north east of England. All are feats of which Marcel is justly proud. Marcel Orlowski has always possessed great interest in sport. He played football and table tennis. In 1995 he won the Over 80 years title at the European Veteran Championships in Vienna and has received acknowledgement from the Swaythling Club International for his life-long contribution to developing table tennis in the Czech Republic. Recently Marcel has experienced some problems with his legs; otherwise he is still fit and in good health. He keeps up to speed with a wide range of sports and, as always, follows the Sparta Football Club. By Ian Marshall, published on

30th September 2015 on the SCI/WVC website

pIMilan Orlowski hitting forehand as a young player qIMilan Orlowski with his father on a very special day.

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER ISRAEL Report by Fima Borys, National Representative of the Israeli SCI section Following the traditional policy of the Israeli SCI section of supporting young players, we organised Open Championships in Beer Sheba on the 9th of January 2016. Fifty competitors of different ages participated in the championships. Fima Borys donated four trophies for the 13 years old winners in grade A. The awards were presented to the following champions: Noam Sher from Beitar Beer Sheba David Greenshpan from Maccabi Dimona Noga Bitzer from Eilat Eyal Bekshein from Beitar Beer Sheba It was a great event, enjoyed by everyone!

pIFima Borys, David Davidson, Mendel Neiman and Daniel Balanero (from left to right) qIFima Borys, David Davidson and the winners Both photos by SCI Israel

WORLD VETERAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 1982-2020 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

Gothenburg Helsinki Rimini Zagreb Baltimore Dublin Melbourne Lillehammer Manchester Vancouver

Sweden Finland Italy Croatia USA Ireland Australia Norway England Canada

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

Lucerne Switzerland Yokohama Japan Bremen Germany Rio de Janeiro Brazil Hohhot China Stockholm Sweden Auckland New Zealand Alicante / Elche Spain Las Vegas USA Bordeaux France

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER JAPAN Ichiro Ogimura remembered at Three Day Festival It was now 21 years since Ichiro Ogimura, former World champion and President of the International Table Tennis Federation, passed away; he died on Sunday 4th December 1994. At ITS (International Table Tennis Stage) in Tokyo the legacy of Ichiro Ogimura was remembered on 13th December 2015. Koji Oribe, his successor as President of the club, organised a three day festival entitled “Ogi’s Dream”. Lilamani de Soysa was present at a celebration attended by 70 friends of Ogi, including members of his family, and reports on the occasion: “He had been my greatest mentor for 26 years”, explained Koji Oribe. “He taught me a lot of things.” Koji Oribe is very committed to the club and speaks of the foreign players that have trained there with great pride. “More than 300 overseas players have practisedhere, from many countries, Spain, France, Canada, Germany, even Bhutan”, added Koji Oribe. Top players such as Jan-Ove Waldner, JeanPhilippe Gatien and even former ITTF President Adham Sharara came here as coach with the Canadian Team.

In addition, he related the story of Stellan Bentsson who practised at the club for three months prior to the 1971 Nagoya World Championships; he was to win the Men’s Singles title in the final against Japanese star and title holder Shigeo Itoh – and so doing became the first Swede to gain the honour. pIOgimura, Tanaka in 1956 qIAttendants on Ogi’s Memory Day

Both photos by JTTA

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER JAPAN (continued) One of the highlights of the final day of “Ogi’s dream 2015” was a speech from coach Isao Nakandakare, who has returned to Japan after spending seven years in Latin America. Isao Nakandakare left Japan in 2008, to coach in Argentina as part of the Japanese International Co-Operation Agency scheme. Later he visited Costa Rica and Chile. “I was very happy to work with Argentine players; at first, communication was difficult but players and coaches understood what was in my “heart” and then it was easy to communicate with them”, explained Isao Nakandakare. “The President, Nestor Tenca, always supported me.” It would seem that the heart of Isao Nakandakare is very much in Latin America; he enjoys “the lifestyle, music and dance”. However, his thoughts with regard to Japan arepositive. “I am happy to see that the level of Japanese table tennis has improved tremendously”, he said. December was also significant at ITS for another reason. It was the time to celebrate a birthday, that of Hisao Uehara, the heroine of the book Ogi (Ping Pong San) by Mitsuru Jojima. Hisao

Uehara was Ichiro Ogimura’s greatest mentor and founder of the first club where it was possible for Ogi to play table tennis and become the great champion that he was. On Thursday 31st December 2015, Hisao Uehara became 96 years old. She never misses any events that are held in “her” club. By Ian Marshall, published on 15th December 2015 on the ITTF website pITomita and Ogimura in 1954, with the St. Bride Vase qIExhibition of historic items. Both photos by JTTA

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER SWEDEN - 1 Recognised by Local Community, Jörgen Persson joins Wall of Fame During the Liebherr 2015 Men’s World Cup in Halmstad, on Friday 16th October 2015, in the towns splendid Arena, the legend was officially recognised. Jörgen Persson, born, bred and raised in the town was inducted to the “Wall of Fame”. It is an accolade of the highest honour; Jörgen Persson is only the second to have his photo mounted on the wall; the other is Bengt Bona Hanson, a celebrated athlete in the world of Handball. “Most certainly, it’s a really good feeling”, said Jörgen Persson. “In fact, I think you appreciate such awards more when your career has finished. I think when you receive an award when you are a player, you are so involved in actually playing that you don’t have time to really sit back and realise what you have received.” The award is made by a special panel which comprises local government officials, sporting administrators and local media representatives.

Furthermore, it is not only based on sporting excellence and high level achievement. There are other factors which enter the equation. “You have to be an ambassador for the sport, to have achieved in a way that reflects positively on the local community and you must be born in Halmstad”, continued Jörgen Persson. “It’s been in the newspapers today; I knew two weeks ago but it’s been top secret!” Undoubtedly, Jörgen Persson fits the bill perfectly; the manner in which he conducts himself over the years has been exemplary; whether it be in the playing arena or beyond. An extra special award for an extra special human being; the name is Jörgen Persson. Excerpts of an article by Ian Marshall, published on the ITTF website on 16th October 2015 Members of the SCI at the Liebherr 2015 Men’s World Cup in Halmstad • From left to right: Christian Heyerdahl, Jörgen Persson, Thomas Berner, Walter Rönmark, Hans Westling Photo by SCI Sweden

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER SWEDEN - 2

Märtha Göransson honoured by Swedish Legends on One Hundredth Birthday Success for Swedish players against expectations at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open, the Eriksdalshallen in Stockholm provided a theatre of high drama, as notably Kristian Karlsson, Anton Källberg, Jens Lundquist and Mattias Karlsson upset the odds. Thrilling performances and on the fourth day of play, Saturday 14th November 2015, members of the Swaythling Club International were present to watch the action with a special guest, Märtha Göransson. She was present to celebrate her 100th birthday. Märtha is Sweden’s most successful female veteran player. She won gold at the first ever World Veteran Championships staged 1982 in Gothenburg. Her most recent appearance being at the European Veteran Championships 2007 in Rotterdam where she won gold in doubles with Betty Gray (Wales) and silver in singles at the age of 91. Märtha received greetings from all and in particular from her favourite players Mikael Appelgren and Jan-Ove Waldner. In addition, a special lunch was organised. By Ian Marshall and Hans Westling

pISitting left to right: Gudrun Bergström, Inga Brehmer (sister of the late Nicke Bergström), Siv Hammarlund, Christer Johansson • Standing left to right: Hans Westling, Walter Rönmark, Tomas Berner, Christian Heyerdahl qIMärtha Göransson with Jan-Ove Waldner and Mikael Appelgren

Both photos by SCI Sweden

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY CORNER UNITED STATES of AMERICA Dean Johnson inducted to United States Hall of Fame Member of the Swaythling Club International and ITTF Veteran Committee, Dean Johnson was recently inducted into the United States Hall of Fame. The presentation was made at the United States National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday 17th December; attending the occasion was Sweden’s Hans Westling, Chair of the World Veteran Championships Committee. Notably, in 2018 Las Vegas will host the World Veteran Championships. Dean Johnson is a member of the Organising Committee. Entitled “The United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame, the citation read “Dean Johnson whose outstanding service and contributions to the sport of table tennis have earned him the world-

wide recognition and admiration in the finest tradition.” Currently, Dean Johnson is Chair of the United States Hall of Fame Museum based at the Triangle Table Tennis Club in Morrisville, North Carolina. Additionally, he is a founding member and presently on the Board of Directors for the Table Tennis Foundation which, over a period of seven years, has raised a total of US§ 323.000 for charities and people in need. Furthermore, it was not the only accolade that Dean Johnson secured at the United States National Championships. Partnering New York’s George Brathwaite, the duo won their third Men’s Doubles over 80 title. Congratulation! By Ian Marshall Dean Johnson (left) and Hans Westling (right) Photo by SCI

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

AUTOGRAPHS FROM 1987 AT THE WTTC IN NEW DELHI Autographs of members present at the SCI Reception during the Worlds in New Delhi, written for all those who could not attend – we hope that you can identify some of the signatures!

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

IN MEMORIAM Vincent Purkart (France) The Entertainer Par Excellence, Vincent Purkart Passes Away It is with great sadness that the death of Vincent Purkart is announced. He passed away on Wednesday 11th November 2015, he was 79 years old. Born on Thursday 25th June 1936, he first played table tennis when 15 years old, graduating to become a member of the French National Team; notably he competed in three consecutive World Championships. In an era when the event was organised on a biennial basis, Vincent Purkart made his debut at the global gathering in Prague 1963 and was present in both 1965 Ljubljana and in 1967 in Stockholm. Meanwhile, at the French National Championships he won the Men’s Singles title on two occasions, succeeding in 1964 and 1965. Additionally, he was crowned Men’s Doubles champion in 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1969, later in 1977 he secured the Mixed Doubles title.

pIVincent Purkart (1936-2015) Photo by Alain Mondesir qIThe Show: Vincent Purkart and Jaques Secretin Photo by Geoffroy Purkart

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

IN MEMORIAM Vincent Purkart (continued) However, he very much lived in the shadow of Jaques Secretin; notably he was beaten in the final of the Men’s Singles event at the French National Championships by Jaques Secretin on seven consecutive occasions. A member of the Kremlin Bicetre Club in Paris, Vincent Purkart is perhaps the best known for the exhibitions he gave with Jaques Secretin. The show was first staged in 1970 and continued until 1996 when for health reasons Vincent Purkart had to stop. It was a show that delighted also Adham Sharara, Chair of the International Table Tennis Federation. He sent his condolences to Vincent’s children Geoffroy Purkart and Alexia Nerfie. “ This is indeed a sad moment, but for some strange reason, your father’s name always brings back a smile to my face. Regardless of the circumstances, he has touched so many people, including me, with his depiction of our sport in a fun and amusing way. I will never forget his entertaining exhibitions that put so many smiles on the faces of the spectators, and also how he made us all laugh with his jokes on and off the table. We should also remember that your father was a great athlete and a great Champion as well. He has left his mark on French table tennis, and for that reason he will never be forgotten. He is a true legend of our sport.”

A special place in the annals of table tennis, Vincent Purkart is sadly missed; our condolences to his family. By Ian Marshall, published on 16th November on the SCI/WVC website qIVincent Purkart in action

Photo by Geoffroy Purkart

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Please note that the SCI Office has been moved from the centre of Düsseldorf in Germany to a small village nearby. The new contact details are: Swaythling Club International c./o. Eberhard Schöler Bismarckstraße 40 B, D-41564 Kaarst, Germany Telephone +49(0)2131 5398729 Email [email protected]

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

IN MEMORIAM Charles Roesch (France) It is with great sadness that the passing away of Charles Roesch is announced; he was 93 years old. Born in Lichtenberg in Alsace, France on Monday 23rd January 1922, he died peacefully on Sunday 20th December 2015. A mathematics teacher, Charles Roesch became one of the most respected coaches of the modern era. During his career, he was the Technical Director of the French Table Tennis Federation, the National Coach for Switzerland and the Head Coach for the German Table Tennis Association. Commencing in 1983, the role with the German Table Tennis Association was to cover a six year span. Appointed by Hans Wilhelm Gäb, the President at that time, he established the basis for future policies with regard to German National Teams. He worked closely with Eva Jeler, the pair being described as a “real tandem” as they developed and Promoted new ideas. “Charles was a warm and wonderful person with an iron will and sharp intellect”, said Eva Jeler. “He was the greatest teacher I ever met, one of the pillars of German table tennis success in the last three decades.”

Notably, alongside Eva Jeler, he was responsible for establishing the German Table Tennis Centre which was opened in 1985 in Duisburg. “For me, he was one of my best friends; I feel privileged and honoured to have worked closely with him”, added Eva Jeler. “In every training session I have ever concluded and ever will conduct, a part of Charles Roesch will always be present.” At the 1989 World Championships in Dortmund, he guided Steffen Fetzner and Jörg Roßkopf to gold in the Men’s Doubles event, the pair beating Zoran Kalinic, then representing Yugoslavia and Poland’s Leszek Kucharski in the final.

pICharles Roesch in 1984 tICharles Roesch and Eva Jeler Both photos by Eva Jeler

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

IN MEMORIAM Charles Roesch (continued) It was the second time that Charles Roesch had gained such an achievement; in 1977 at the World Championships in Birmingham he advised Jaques Secretin and Claude Bergeret on their path to the Mixed Doubles title. “I met Charles in 1968, I was 14 years old, in fact he discovered me as a promising table tennis player”, reflected Claude Bergeret. “At that time he was National Technical Manager for the French Table Tennis Federation; he designed a ten year programme for France. I am pleased to have been part of this programme.” Notably, the success recorded by Jaques Secretin and Claude Bergeret was a landmark win; it was the first title ever to be secured by France at a World Championships. Charles Roesch leaves a wife, Marcelle and son Christian. Our condolen-

ces to his family and friends; he is sadly missed. Excerpts of an article by Ian Marshall, published on www.ittf.com , section SCI/WVC on 22nd December 2015 French Team at the World Championships in Birmingham 1977 • From left to right: Jean Douilly, Brigitte Thiriet, Louis Braslet, Jaques Secretin, Yveline Lecler (behind Jaques), Pierre Grandjean, Claude Bergeret, Charles Roesch, JeanPaul Weber, Jean-Francois Kahn Photo by FFTT

IN MEMORIAM Bill Moran (England) Bill Moran, International Umpire, passed away on 22nd November 2015. His work at several World Championships led Bill to becoming a member of the Swaythling Club International; he attended the meetings in England whenever he was able. As a player, Bill represented Grimsby & Cleethorpes League at senior and veteran level and won several of their Closed Championships titles. In 1998, Bill was made a Vice-President of the ETTA, recognising his many committee activities. We will remember him. Excerpts from an article in Table Tennis Times – Late Autumn 2015 Bill Moran (left) with Paul Drinkhall, England No 1 player Photo by ETTA

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

NEWS FLASH Table Tennis Times In our last News, No. 99, we informed you regarding a quarterly, independent Newsletter from the world of English Table Tennis – first issue summer 2015. Unfortunately, we gave you a link to the website of the English Table Tennis Association for further details. This was wrong as ETTA is not involved with this publication. If you want to know more about TTT, please contact Diane and Harvey Webb under [email protected] . Veteran Championships in Sardinia Situated on the west coast of Sardinia, Bosa will be the home of the 2016 Sardinia Veteran Championships, a three day tournament, play commences on Saturday 23rd April and concludes on Monday 25th April. For further information and queries please contact Efisio Pisano – Email [email protected] . You can also find details in a report by Ian Marshall, published on the SCI/ WVC website on 2nd January 2016. World Veteran Championships 2016 and 2018 On 14th February, a Working Group from the WVC Committee met in Düsseldorf/Germany and discussed many organisational issues concerning the events in Alicante/Elche 2016 and Las Vegas 2018. Hans Westling and Michael Theis had visited Spain in January, while Hans Westling was accompanied by Reto Bazzi on his first inspection visit to Las Vegas. The facilities for both events look very promising – with Alicante/Elche set for a new record of participation with more than 4500 entries! ETTU and Dragutin Surbek During their inspection visit to Zagreb for the forthcoming European Youth Championships (8th to 17th July 2016), ETTU Deputy President Ivo-Goran Munivrana and Secretary General Richard Scruton met Croatian legend Dragutin Surbek – twice World Doubles Champion (1979 and 1983) and European Singles Champion in 1968. Nice to see Dragutin again!

pIWVC meeting in Düsseldorf From left to right: Hans Westling, Ebby Schöler, Diane Photo by SCI Schöler, Michael Theis qIETTU Meeting in Zagreb From left to right: Ivo-Goran, Dragutin and Richard

Photo by ETTU

SWAYTHLING CLUB INTERNATIONAL

NEWS FLASH New SCI Representatives Svetlana Fedorova (Grinberg), former World Champion in Women’s Team Event and also Women’s Doubles, has retired from her position as National Representative of the Russian SCI section. We thank Svetlana for her immense contribution to SCI aims and principles and hope to see her at future events. At the same time we welcome her successor, Alexander Zakaryan and wish him all the best in his new engagement. In England, we also had a change of responsibilities. Tony Chatwin who was National Representative for many years, is followed by Harvey Webb. At a get-together during the English Closed Championships in Hertford on 20th March, members thanked Tony for all his efforts in the past and welcomed Harvey to his new position. A respective report with photos will be published on the SCI/WVC website very soon. 2019 World Table Tennis Championships Budapest, Hungary has been announced as the host for the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships by the delegates of the ITTF AGM in Kuala Lumpur on 1st May - an event they have not hosted since 1950. Notably, Hungary has won the second most World Championships gold medals behind China.



MEMBERSHIP FEE

We respectfully ask our National Representatives to collect the annual membership fees from their members and transfer the respective amount to our bank account

Swaythling Club International S.C.I. 628173-71 IBAN: CH19 0483 5062 8173 7100 0 SWIFT: CRESCHZZ80A Case postale, CH-1211 Geneve 11 (SUISSE) Werner Schnyder/Treasurer, Email address: [email protected]

Victor Barna Best Player Award 2016 u Unfortunately, ITTF did not allow us to present this trophy in Kuala Lumpur – although the Swaythling Club International honoured the Best Player at World Championships since 1973, 43 years ago. What a shame! The reason given to us was

that ITTF made an agreement with the title sponsor in Kuala Lumpur (and also for future events) to officially name „The Most Valuable Player of the Tournament“.

Table Tennis Day 2016

Photo by ITTF

Victor Barna Best Player Award 2016

pIPhoto by SCI